Technology has been developing extremely fast in recent years and it’s been affecting our everyday lives in a significant way. Everything is changing – how we work, how we communicate, how we go about our lives on a daily basis. We can see these changes on our every step and in various aspects of dailiness; games are no different.
And it’s not only about the fact that there are more and more advanced video games appearing or that people are working on perfecting Virtual Reality experience; even the most traditional classic games, like board games, are being affected by the progress of technology. The number of apps and websites destined to improving our gaming experience is only increasing. So how can we take advantage of modern technology in classic board games and does it mean we’re cheating?
This website can help you become the champion of scrabble. It creates words out of other words and anagrams – whatever you have, you simply type the letters in and get immediate results. It may not sound like a fair technique but it depends on how you use it.
Of course, if you want, you can use it to gain an advantage during a really tough game, but it’s also a great tool to simply practice anagrams, especially if you have children. It will help you (and them) develop creativity, abstract thinking, it will allow you to pay more attention and to be able to focus more.
Tablet Board Games
It’s the perfect solution if you are a big fan of board games but you travel a lot. Board games tend to take a lot of space which very often, you’re not willing to sacrifice (or it’s simply not possible).
You don’t have to decide anymore whether you want to take scrabble, chess, checkers or whatever is your favourite – you can have it all in your tablet which can work as your board. There are even special pawns that can be used to interact with the game – Apple created iPawns to create a balance between classic and virtual games.
Monopoly Live
Monopoly always means a lot of emotions and, very often, heated discussions that lead to conflicts. If it’s the case for you and your co-players, you may consider changing, or rather modifying your experience by switching to Monopoly Live – a digital version of a classic game that comes with an online host that monitors the game to make you certain that everything goes according to rules.
Find co-players
Technology has not only modified the way we play board games. Thanks to it, a lot of people who don’t have players among their family members and friends, can find other gamers to play online with or even meet in person. Websites like meetup.com enable you to make contact with those looking for company and engage in a meetup group to organize gaming events regularly.
Know all the rules
Physical rulebooks are very often getting lost somewhere along the way, but it’s not a problem anymore. BoardgameGeek is one of many pages that serve as a rulebook to basically every game you may encounter. There will no longer be conflicts over who is right. You can always go online and resolve all doubts on the spot.
Hybrid board games
These are board games originally designed to work with apps – a combination of tradition with modernity. Many people think that a smartphone at a party is only a buzzkill but it’s not the case here. You can use it at the very start to understand the rules and the essence of a game. Apps offer explanatory videos and even trial rounds which are much more interesting than reading a rulebook when nobody listens.
There are publishers who create atmospheric background music available with an app, additional game versions and different bonuses. Most games don’t lose any charm if you decide not to use an app, and you can still play them, but it’s simply more complex, diverse and interesting if you choose to use it.
Companion apps
This is also a type of a hybrid board game and it’s been growing in popularity lately. It’s an app created to provide you with a game master or a storyteller that leads the game enabling all the players to participate. In the case of Mansions of Madness by Fantasy Flight Games, it was possible to play without an app when it first came out but with later editions, it is required to download an app as it adds significant value.
It’s not like cheating. Of course, you can use different pages and apps to play unfairly, but where’s fun in that? It’s better to take advantage of what technology offers us to improve ourselves, to learn and to educate others. It’s good to be able to make use of numerous tools that the world gives to help us. But make sure you do it right, not only for the sake of winning without any effort.